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Sunday, October 17, 2010

Jesse asked me to make baked spaghetti for our Friday evening get together with friends. Ok, that’s only partially true. Jesse has been asking me on a semi-regular basis to make baked spaghetti since we got married.

I’ve been beating around the bush trying to escape this task for years. The only baked spaghetti I ever knew were dried out noodles with sickeningly sweet Ragu that always arrived with the traditional potluck fair.

I called Julie and warned her Jesse had requested baked spaghetti. She tried to be kind, but I don’t think her experiences have been much better. I couldn’t imagine serving my poor friends a meal they dreaded. They deserved something they could at least choke down. So, I sucked it up and gave this recipe some thought and attention. The results were much better than I expected, and most certainly not as bad as my worst fears.

Or perhaps, everyone was just being polite and ate it anyway! Hey, it could happen.

Zesty Crockpot Marinara Sauce Printer VersionThis marinara cooks for about 10 hours, so it’s often easier to make this the day before you’ll be using it for baked spaghetti.

Stir the ingredients together in a large Crockpot. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Not Your Average Baked SpaghettiPrinter VersionYou’ll need a big 10” x 15” baking dish for this recipe, if you don’t have one you can break it up into two smaller pans. For a vegetarian version, leave out the sausage and toss the spaghetti with the extra marinara sauce before layering it into the bottom.

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet breaking it up well. Drain off the fat and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and get out a 10”x 15” baking dish.

2. Boil the spaghetti to al dente according to package directions in heavily salted water. Toward the end of cooking time reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and toss with butter and olive oil. At this point you can also toss the spaghetti with the leftover sauce if preferred. Place the noodles in the baking dish.

3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the reserved pasta water. Place the sausage on top of the noodles and spread the ricotta over everything.

4. Top ricotta with 1 cup Parmesan Reggiano. Spread 4 cups of sauce over the cheese and top with mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.

5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sides are bubbly. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the extra sauce if desired.

So funny...but as I was reading your post, Ryan peeked over, and exclaimed, "Can you please make that for me!" Something about boys and baked spaghetti. I must say that this does look mighty delicious though. I want to make it too! Thanks for sharing, Laura.

I don't think I've ever had baked Spaghetti. I've seen it at various potlucks but it usually looks like someone had already eaten it LOL However, I could be convinced with your version to give it a try and I'm pretty sure my 3 boys will love it!

It looks great! My sister does her leftover spaghetti and sauce (and veggies and cheese) in a cast iron skillet on the stove and then bakes until firm. It sets it and then gets a nice crust. It's her leftover meal where she just throws everything in a pan. The kids loved it, and it worked as a nice side for me. This one looks more like a casserole. I'll have to try it!

Do you recommend any "good quality sauce" out of a jar? I have yet to find one though I'm not usually looking. I'd be willing to pay more for a decent (good quality) sauce though. Would make preparing this much easier.

I used to make one of those Bolognese-type recipes that I got from my mother in law though it's been years. It would cook all day and then taste a bit like heaven (though more heavenly if she cooked it than if I cooked it).

I think the Lucini sauces are amazing. I used to get them at Costco for about $4.50 a jar. Sadly, they don't carry them anymore. I found them at my local Co-Op for $9.00 a jar and my brain about exploded.

If you can find them cheaper, or you're ok with paying a bit more they are worth it.